Do you want to improve your personal health? Vitamin and mineral supplements work to fill any nutrient deficiencies from your daily diet.

The body requires a variety of essential nutrients to function properly. So, by including vitamin and mineral supplements in your daily diet, you are not only enabling your body to function at its most optimal level, but you are assisting your body in the prevention of illness and disease.

While there are a variety of important vitamins and supplements to include in your daily diet, there are several that provide crucial health benefits, including:

Vitamin A
Aging adults often experience a deficiency in Vitamin A which is important for proper immune system function.

Beta Carotene
A precursor to Vitamin A, beta carotene increase the body’s white blood cell count which works to improve immune system function and has shown to have cancer preventative properties.

B Vitamins
Thiamine, Riboflavin, and Niacin are among the most well known B vitamins and they are also typically included in most daily diets. However, the B vitamins Biotoin and Pahtothenic acid are often deficient in most individual’s daily diets. When these vitamins are included in the diet, they have shown the ability to regulate blood volume, blood pressure and to prevent heart disease.

Folic Acid
Folic acid is important for all of us, however, there is a great amount of focus on this nutrient for pregnant women as it has been proven to prevent birth defects. Due to a common deficiency in most people’s daily diets of this nutrient, vitamin supplements containing folic acid are recommended. In addition to working to prevent birth defects, folic acid has also shown value in the prevention of heart disease.

Vitamin B12
Individuals who consume meat within their regular diets are not often deficient in this vitamin. However, vegetarians and vegans often require nutritional supplements to prevent a deficiency from developing. Vitamin B12 is important for the regulation of homocysteine levels within the blood, crucial for the prevention of heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease.

Vitamin C
Most of us are familiar with the role of Vitamin C in strengthening our body’s immune systems and most diets contain ample amounts of Vitamin C. However, added vitamin C has shown the ability to prevent common illnesses and to shorten the duration of colds when taken on a regular basis and in higher doses.

Vitamin D
The most common source of Vitamin D is from exposure to direct sunlight. Vitamin D is important for the formation and maintenance of healthy bones. If a diet is deficient in Vitamin D, the body is more prone to fracture and in elderly individuals, falls are more common.

Vitamin E
Many individuals are deficient in Vitamin E which can increase a person’s risk of heart disease. Including Vitamin E supplements in the diet have been shown to reduce the incidence and severity of mild heart attacks. For aging men, Vitamin E has also shown the ability to reduce the prevalence of prostate cancer.

Vitamin K
A deficiency in Vitamin K has been linked to increased risk for osteoporosis and bleeding problems. Adding Vitamin K into the diet has been shown to actively prevent bone loss, particularly in women.

Calcium
Calcium is most commonly ingested through dairy products. However, most individuals do not obtain the recommended daily doses of Calcium causing supplements to be important. Calcium strengthens bones, prevents bone loss and can decrease the risk of fractures and osteoporosis when ingested at the daily recommended amount over time.

Phosphorus
Most individuals have a deficiency in this nutrient. While some researchers believe that a deficiency in this mineral is not significant, it is included in most daily supplements.

Magnesium
Most individuals have a deficiency of magnesium within their daily diets. This nutrient is important for the prevention of bone loss, particularly in aging adults.

Potassium
Deficiencies in potassium are not common, but this is an important nutrient to ingest regularly. Potassium works to prevent high blood pressure.

Iron
Iron deficiency is common among vegetarians and vegans as it is most commonly ingested in meat products. Iron works to prevent heart disease, some cancers and works to reduce the risk of infection when taken regularly in a supplement form.

Iodine
Most people are deficient in iodine, unless they regularly ingest iodized salt.

Zinc
Zinc deficiency is not common, although it plays an important function in supporting immune health in adults.

Copper
Copper works to prevent bone loss, important for aging adults.

Manganese
Individuals who are deficient in manganese often have a higher incidence of osteoporosis.

Chromium
Deficiencies in chromium are often associated with elevated cholesterol levels and trouble maintaining blood sugar levels.

Selenium
Most individuals show a deficiency of selenium within their daily diets. Selenium has been shown to reduce the prevalence of many cancers forming when added into the daily diet.

Vitamins and minerals are important components of everyone’s daily diets.

But within the fast paced world of today, many people are deficient in one or more of these important nutrients. Adding a vitamin supplement can not only improve the body’s overall level of functioning, but can often prevent many harmful diseases and illnesses from developing.

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